Word parts
What it means
The root for the gallbladderGAWL-blad-erA small pear-shaped sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it to help digest fat.Full entry , made of chole (bile) and cyst (sac): the bile sac. cholecystitiskoh-luh-sis-TY-tisInflammation of the gallbladder.chol/e bilecyst/o sac, bladder-itis inflammationFull entry is inflammation of the gallbladder, a cholecystectomy is surgery to remove it, and cholecystokinin is the hormone that makes it squeeze bile into the small intestine after a fatty meal.
At a glance
| Also written | cholecysto- |
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Related terms
gallbladder
A small pear-shaped sac under the liver that stores bile and releases it to help digest fat.
cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder.
cholecystectomy
Surgery to remove the gallbladder.